Stay Strong Rider
by Noodles 98
Summary: What if the king went with Murtagh to capture Nasuada and captured Eragon as well? What if Eragon was the secretly the son of the King and his mother was an Oracle? What if there was another island in Alagaёsia no one knew about? What if the races on that island were vampires and werewolves? What if they came to Alagaёsia? – bad summery but the fanfics better … promise. NxM AxE
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first FanFiction I have ever written and my first time writing a story that others will read. Any comments for improvement would be great but please don't be mean.**

**Chapter 1: The Word of a Rider**

A malefic light sprang into existence between Thorn's jaws an instant before an ever-expanding wall of flames billowed out of his maw and rolled over Arya, obscuring her form. By then, Eragon was less than fifty feet away – close enough that the heat stung his cheeks.

The flames cleared away to reveal Thorn turning away from Arya, doubling back as quickly as his bulk would allow. As he did, he swung his tail, whipping it through the air faster than she could hope to evade.

"No!" shouted Eragon.

There was a _crack_ as the tail struck Arya. It knocked her into the darkness, like a stone loosed from a sling, and the Dauthdaert separated from her and arced downward, its glow dwindling to a faint point that soon vanished altogether.

Iron bands seemed to tighten around Eragon's chest, squeezing the breath out of him. Thor was pulling away, but Eragon might still be able to overtake the dragon if he drew even more energy from Glaedr. However, his connection with Glaedr was growing tenuous and Eragon could not hope to best Thorn and Murtagh alone and high above the ground, not when Murtagh had dozens or more Eldunarí at his disposal.

Eragon swore, cut off the spell that was propelling him through the air, and dove headfirst after Arya. The wind screamed in his ears and tore at his hair and clothes, and smashed the skin on his cheeks flat, and forced him to narrow his eyes to slits. An insect struck him on the neck; the impact stung as fiercely as if he had been hit by a pebble.

As he fell, Eragon searched with his mind for Arya's consciousness. But instead he came across another's directly below him. It was hard like a brick wall yet disjointed as if someone or something was guarding a different section of his mind. They were Eldunarí and lots of them.

"Letta" Eragon shouted to stop himself colliding with the stranger.

"Greetings rider" he smirked. Eragon stared dumbfound at the figure in front of him. He looked around twenty or so, but the crown on his head indicated how old he really was. He had brown hair the same as Eragon's; in fact he resembled Eragon completely except from his eyes. His eyes were grey.

_"Eragon?" _called Saphira

_"Stay away Saphira, fly away, go somewhere where he won't find you"_

_"I'm not leaving you" _she cried

_"You must, so long as you don't mate with Thorn and produce a female dragon egg he won't kill me. If he captures you as well-_

_"I'm coming" _interrupted her determined voice.

_"No. Find Arya and get her to the Varden then fly away as fast as you can and seek refuge in Ellesméra_. _Please Saphira, just go." _

There was no reply, or if she did reply, he never heard what she said. The last thing he heard was the Kings pitiful laugh then his mind clouded and he fell into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for reading my fanfiction, I honestly wasn't expecting many to read it at all. This chapter is partly from Eragon's P.O.V. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 2**

_A swirling whirlpool of confusion clouded my mind with shades of blue, red and black. I didn't know where I was or what had happened but I was falling deeper and deeper into a black abyss plummeting towards the bottom. Suddenly I heard a soft whisper of a voice. It was a female voice full of sadness and despair "Eragon" she kept crying over and over again. A green light shone at the bottom of the abyss and the voice grew louder. "Eragon, Eragon" But who was Eragon? I was hit with the sudden realization that Eragon was me. The light got brighter and brighter until I had to shield my eyes from the immense glow. The last thing I heard was the voice saying "stay strong". Then there was nothing but darkness._

I woke shivering on the cold stone floor of my cell. I didn't dare open his eyes. My capturers were near and watching for any sign I was conscious. _Am I in Urû'baen or was I taken somewhere else_ I thought trying to pull together my muddled mind. Then I remembered the dark figure in the clouds and the last thing I heard Saphira say. _Did they find her? Or did she try and rescue me? And what about Arya, did she make it? _I scowled in annoyance. _Of course she made it. She's strong; she'll kill the king with or without me._ My thoughts were disturbed by voices outside the cell whispering to each other. One was a young female, the other a young man.

"What should I do to him first" came the male voice.

"I want to torture him first, you can torture the woman" said the female in a whiny voice that could have belonged to a toddler having a tantrum.

"Don't give me that look" there was a short pause "All right but it's my turn tomorrow and I'm staying to introduce myself, I'm sure he'd like -

"They're taking forever to wake up "interrupted the woman "I'm getting bored"

The man chuckled "You're always bored"

As they continued talking Eragon realized they were brother and sister. It reminded him of the times him and Murtagh had, had before Murtagh had joined the king. They used to quarrel over hunting methods and fighting tactics to the point where they ended up doing silly dares to prove themselves. He smiled at the thought and couldn't resist taking a look at the pair.

The two were twins; anyone could see that at a first glance. They both had jet black hair that came down to their waist; the only difference was the man had his tied up. There facial features were also almost identical with their slightly pointed ears, pale, angular faces and their eyes -. Their eyes puzzled Eragon. The pair looked human, but their eyes suggested differently. They were as black as their hair. Eragon shifted to try and get a better look at them, but this gave him away.

"I hear our little friend here is awake" sneered the man

"Finally" said the woman with an over exaggerated sigh.

I opened my eyes fully to see the blurred grey interior of the cell. As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and inspected my surroundings. As I did I realized that the cell wasn't much like a cell at all; it was more like more like a cave. The only difference was that it had openings in the walls with bars in them which matched the bar wall and door at the far end of the cell where my torturers were waiting. _This place isn't so bad_ I thought. But then I saw what was beyond the cell. Dread filled every part of my body as I knew what was to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all your reviews, they have encouraged me to keep on writing. Hope you like the new Chapter. **

**Chapter 3**

Eragon was brought into the camber outside his cell. The room as was grey and depressing as the metal table in front of him that was scratched and dented as if the table itself had suffered years of torture. To the right hand side of the table was a cage which also had chains in it for a relative or friend to watch. It looked strangely familiar to Eragon. Luckily, none of the Varden other than Lady Nasuada had been caught, but she was not there. Rumour had it that the Varden had fled to Ellesméra with the elves and gone into hiding, Saphira along with them, or at least that's what the twins had said. To the left of him were shelved with various plant and chemicals stuffed into jars and pots. Underneath the shelves were cabinets filled to the brim with different tools, each one different to ensure it would cause more pain than the last.

Eragon composed his face into a hard cold mask so he didn't show the fear he felt inside. Inside he was screaming and fighting the urge to make a run for it, there was no point to this of course, he was in Urû'baen now. He wouldn't make it as far as the Ramr River without getting caught, that's if he managed to get out of the castle filled with guards, not to mention the king himself who was somewhere in the building. There was no way he could get out of this one. Not even if someone came to rescue him this very moment._ I'll have to wait for the right moment _he thought _I'll act all nice and polite and go along with it, then the first chance I get, I'll escape_.

"Before I start, I would like to introduce myself" She smiled sweetly "My name is Kyra and I will be your torturer today"

"Nice to meet you" Eragon replied offering her his hand. He was glad that both his voice and his hand did not shake. She took his hand and shook it looking strangely at him. Her hand was cold and surprisingly strong. It made Eragon feel weak.

"I'm Drake" interrupted her brother and offered Eragon his hand. He was about to shake it when he thought of a better idea.

"Pleasure" He smiled and bowed slightly. At this the twins looked at each other than back at Eragon eying him suspiciously. There was a long pause, then Drake left the room shutting the door with a loud clang.

"Shall we get started then?" asked Kyra

Eragon shrugged and went towards the table and sat on the edge of it then asked "Which way would you like me to face?" he said as cheerfully as possible.

"On your front" she replied "and you'd better take your shirt of first" she said and turned her back on him. Eragon did as he was told, but watched her carefully. She was looking among the jars for something, but for what, Eragon could not tell. Finally a jar floated down from the shelf and landed carefully in her hand. _She can use magic _Eragon thought with surprised. Kyra returned with the jar in one hand and a paintbrush in the other and placed them on a smaller table near Eragon's head.

"Now" she asked herself aloud "what should I draw?" she continued thinking whilst locking and tightening the chains around Eragon's wrists and ankles. She pulled them tighter than they needed to be so that it rubbed against Eragon's skin uncomfortably. "I know, I'll draw you a new dragon to keep you company" she smiled to herself. She opened the jar to reveal a clear liquid. At first Eragon thought it was just water, but as she turned the jar around, he read the label that clearly said phosphoric acid. Eragon suppressed a shudder and couldn't resist pulling on the chains slightly. He knew as soon as he did that they would hold.

Kyra, jumped up onto the table, and sat down on his lower back. She ran her cold hands up and down his spine until she felt him shiver with unease. She took the paintbrush and dipped it in the acid.

"Don't move around too much or you'll mess up my picture" she said in her sickly sweet voice. Eragon held his breath as she lowered the brush. It made contact. His skin tingled and burned furiously as the acid nibbled away at his flesh. He clenched his fists as it burned deeper and deeper into his body. Finally it stopped and left him with an itching sensation where the acid had burned him. "That wasn't so bad now was it?" Kyra stated smugly "But I'll assure you it will get a lot worse" She lowered the brush again.

At first it wasn't so bad. But once she had painted, what Eragon assumed to be the outline of the dragon, she layered strokes on top of each other making deeper burns until every stroke was a brush of agony. Still Eragon refused to give in. He didn't scream once, or cry out for it to stop. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction. Instead he clenched his teeth together and dug his nails into his palm to ensure not the slightest sound left his lip. The agony went on for what seemed like hours, and when it was over Eragon was covered in sweat and had warm blood trickling down his back.

"All done now" smiled Kyra cheerfully "This is one of my best dragons I've painted"

She clambered off Eragon pressing her hands painfully on his back and disappeared for a moment. When she returned she was holding a mirror which leant against the wall. She then released the chains binding Eragon and led him to the mirror by his hand.

"What do you think?" she asked

Eragon turned and stood there in horror. There on his back was a dragon burned into his flesh.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it's been a while before I last posted. I've had a lot going on including my laptop being confiscated (for smiling in the wrong place at the wrong time). Anyway, hope you enjoy! **

**Chapter 4**

Arya woke to a dark dingy tent that smelt strongly of herbs. She sat up and looked at her surroundings confused of where she was. She remembered the red scaled tail hitting her and then – and then nothing. She pondered what had happened since the battle thinking up of different scenarios. Her thoughts were interrupted when a werecat plodded in. It stopped before the bed and stretched out lazily before leaping onto the bed and sitting poised on Arya's legs.

"Solumbum?" she asked confused

_"Who else?"_ he replied _"Hurry up and get up, as soon as you are ready we will be leaving"_

_"Where are we going?"_ Arya queried

_"Ellesméra"_ he replied

_"Why? What happened?" _

_"Eragon and Nasuada have been captured by the king, Saphira's gone to Ellesméra and we are doomed unless we go there as well"_ he explained how after she had been hit, Saphira had caught her and brought her back to the Varden, before fleeing to Ellesméra. The Varden and elves followed but could not keep up with her. Eventually the elves split from the Varden in their attempt to keep up with Saphira and had left them in a clearing in the middle of the forest. Only Arya and the rest of Eragon's elven guards remained to guide them through Du Weldenvarden. Arya listened intently until he had finished.

As soon as he did, she leaped out of bed and hurriedly began packing being careful not to let her emotions show. Solumbum stalked silently outside. He must have told the others she was up as the other elves began to help pack and take down the tent. Once they were done, Arya put a few essential items in a smaller pack and hoisted the larger one onto a nearby horse.

"What are you doing?" asked Blödhgarm

"What does it look like" Arya replied coldly facing the direction of Urû'baen.

"You can't go after him" said Yaela "Not alone at least"

"Well, unless you know of any other rider in these parts who will join us we don't have much of a choice" Arya said without turning. She knew it was reckless but she had to go. Imagining Eragon injured and alone in a cell was enough to send her into an emotional wreck.

"The more of us that go the more chance Ellesméra will be discovered if we're captured" said Wyrden "besides if we did go, who will be here to protect the dwarves and Varden from unfriendly sorcerers? I can't see Eragon being very happy discovering that his cousin and everyone else died because we went to rescue him"

"I can't see him being very happy being tortured in a cell either" snapped Arya anger glistening in her eyes as she turned and she began to shake uncontrollably.

"Enough!" shouted Blödhgarm "We will go to Ellesméra and think of a plan when we get there. We also need to ask the queen for permission first" and with that he strapped Arya's smaller pack to the horse and began walking. The others followed in silence.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I went on holiday over the summer and had to leave my laptop at home and when I got back I had a tonne of Homework to do before I got back to school (10 pages - I nearly died). Anyway here's the next chapter I hope you enjoy it. **

**Chapter 5**

"Good morning" came the familiar cheerful voices of the twins.

Eragon was getting used to the voices waking him from his ever restless sleep and the cold bucket of water that was tipped over him soon after. He had only been in Urû'baen for a month and had gone up the scale of torture drastically. They had gone easy on him to begin with but now, every waking moment was full of dread and pain and when asleep, it was no better. He dreamed of what was to come and what he had seen being done to others. He dreamed of the Varden and how they were coping without him. But most of all he dreamed of the one man he would have once taken a bullet for. The one man that could heal his wounds and dull his pain. Murtagh.

The twins dragged him to his feet effortlessly and lead him to their torture chamber. They chained him up so he was dangling with his arms stretched high above his head and his legs splayed, held in place by chains. Then one of them left to leave the other with the 'delightful' job of torturing him. This time it was Drakes turn. Eragon kept his face blank, a skill he had learned whilst living with the elves, but his heart was still racing and he felt sick with fear. Despite how he felt, Eragon glared at the Drake, he had had enough playing nice, he just hoped he couldn't hear his heart hammering in his chest as he decided what to do.

Drake ran his hands over the line of instruments in front of him. He put aside the knife, brand, belt, acid and whip in a draw and picked up the next instrument that he was sure he would get at least a whimper out of the boy from using it. It was a small box of thirty or so pointed rods of metal, each one slightly thicker than the previous. He turned around slowly with the box in his hand making sure the young rider got full view of what was inside. He was impressed at the boy's ability to keep his face cleared of emotion, but everything else gave him away. His loudly beating heart, his hairs standing on end, and most of all, his shudder which any normal being wouldn't notice.

He turned his back on Eragon and said "I wouldn't have to do this you know if you weren't so God damn stubborn" he smirked and mocked "but you don't have to be afraid, it will all be over soon"

"I'm not afraid" the boy glared

"Really, because that heart of yours is beating faster and faster, louder and louder every second" he turned to see the confused look on his face and approached him with a rod. "Yes, I can hear that, as well as you moaning in your sleep last night" he put on a mocking baby voice a mimicked "Where are you? Surly you can't hate me that much?" he turned off his mimicking voice and put his face right in Eragon's so he could hear every word h said loud and clear "well here's your answer. Murtagh hates you. He never wants to see you again. He is done being your brother and you are nothing to him" with each sentence he slowly lodged a rod into Eragon's soft flesh feeling satisfied as he watched the anger in his eyes turn from anger to despair as he kept pushed each rod into his body and out the other side. To his delight he did manage to get a few whimpers from him but to his disappointment, this was all he got.

**Thank you for reading my fanfic so far. Just to say I may not be updating as often anymore as I am entering the busiest year at school and I would prefer for writing to be a hobby not an added pressure. Thank you again and I will update asap. **


End file.
